Independence and spontaneity
are the chief components of this need. The structural confinements of
working 9-5, along with the commitments and deadlines often imposed in such
lifestyles, are heavily frowned upon by people who seek this form of
independence. People with a need for Freedom seek mobility and the
luxury of having and making individual choices. The denial of these choices and the personal freedom that comes with them can create much unhappiness.
In a nutshell, these people do not like to have rules imposed upon them.

In the positive pole of
independence, these people are self-confident, responsible, and independent
thinkers who possess a high self-esteem. In the negative pole they can
literally run away from responsibility, avoid relationships, distance themselves
from others, and painfully deprive themselves of achieving true intimacy. To
corrupt the words of John Locke, they can truly become an island.

If you are in a relationship
with someone who has this need, learn to give them breathing room. They
may initially shy away from commitment, but if you grant them the carte blanche
of free will and avoid rules and restrictions that fearfully try to bind their
wandering spirit, they will love you for it and your relationship will
prosper.

People who have their need for freedom
minimized or obstructed will often feel tremendous
anger and resentment, hurling
themselves straight into their chief features. Conversely, an inappropriate use
of freedom often results in the loss of latitude so desperately desired. Like
anything, a sense of balance is required, especially when acting without compulsion.

Freedom comes in many guises, from the freedom
to love to the freedom to create. Having the freedom to share personal truths is
another manifestation, as well as the freedom to move through life with total
autonomy. Since freedom has similarities with both the higher intellectual
center and the 6th chakra, the keeping of a journal is not an unusual habit for those with this need.
A common catharsis is a longing to express deep secrets and
desires without fear of being judged by others.

The need for Freedom is about
avoiding confinement, both physically and mentally, along with a desire for
unfettered experience -- which makes this need very popular with Scholars. It
should not be confused with the need for Adventure, which focuses on
stimulation.

Humorously, people with this need might dream of having the word
"choice" tattooed on their foreheads. They strongly desire to choose where
to live, who to have relationships with, what belief systems to adopt, and anything else
that involves the process of making personal decisions. The art of
living in the moment is strongly embraced by those with this need, and these
people long to express who they truly are without concern for societal norms or
expectations. Freedom also paves the way toward more experience and
growth, primarily because the life compass tries to chart a course around all
obstacles that hinder experience.

How the Need of Freedom
Affects the 6th Chakra

Related to the 6th chakra, the inner yearnings
of this need can directly effect how this chakra functions. Needs are
often chosen to better facilitate the life task, and the chakras most necessary
for this task are usually taken into consideration when selecting the needs.
It appears that both the need and the chakra work hand in hand.

A person with a need for freedom is often
interested (perhaps on a subconscious level) in balancing their mental faculties
with a focused left brain and an open right. Enhanced levels of
discernment and wisdom occurs with this balance, and a greater understanding of
both the inner and outer worlds can result.

An interest in this need/chakra connection
sometimes
stems from a previous lifetime where the individual was either too reliant on
their intellectual capacities and theorized habitually (a problem for many
Scholars), or was overly dependent on their right brain and recklessly lived
life in the moment with little regard for the future. A need for freedom
stimulates the 6th chakra in a way that brings these issues forward to be worked
on.

In order to better fulfill this need you might
ask yourself questions like:

What is confining me in life?

What takes up most of my energy?

Am I working harder than I should? Is there
a sense of balance?

Am I doing what I love? Am I allowing my
potential to fully blossom?

Am I intellectually stagnated? Am I allowing
my intuition full reign in order to balance both sides of my brain?

Do I suppress my feelings?

Do I see the bigger picture?

An unfulfilled need of freedom often manifests in headaches, confusion,
irritability, and a propensity towards intellectual coldness without insight.
Ways of balancing this need include:

Visiting friends or family and making warm, heartfelt social connections.

Exercising more.

Meditation.

Reading mind-expanding books or exploring art.

Listening to music that satisfies on both an intellectual and emotional
level.

Taking spontaneous trips or vacations.

Working freelance and avoiding jobs with too many rules.

Trusting intuitive insights and learning to allow both thoughts and
feelings to govern decisions.

if you're predominantly left-brained, the
following exercise will be
useful:

Take a blank piece of paper and force yourself to write
the first thing that comes into your mind without editing the results. This
exercise should continue for three minutes, and the goal is to write as quickly
as possible, non-stop, without a care about how disjointed or erratic the
thoughts may seem. Just keep writing. By turning off the internal editor
(left brain) it allows the right brain to gain more dominance. Getting a feel
for what it's like to use the right brain is the first step towards using it
more often. It's also an important step towards realizing more personal
freedom, both on an intellectual and emotional level.

By freeing your mind
you liberate your life.

Summary

A positive manifestation of the freedom need
produces insightful, imaginative, and intuitive people who are a source of
inspiration to others. If they can stay balanced and not fall prey to the
seductive dance of illusion, real transcendence can occur here.

Dave Gregg is a longtime
Michael student and the webmaster of MichaelTeachings.com. During the day he
works on a gazillion projects online, and at night you'll find him at a local
jazz club playing the saxophone. You can read more of his thoughts about the
teachings at: Michael Teachings Blog- Michael Teachingsat New Age Village